Angel Laughter
by Freefan1412
Summary: Harry has many teachers, all of whom can be labeled as strange in one way or another. Professor Allen of History of Magic, he thinks, is the oddest, though. Inspired by 'The New Teacher' by Corkboard.
1. First at Hogwarts

Angel Laughter: Year One

* * *

First at Hogwarts

* * *

The castle is like a big labyrinth and Harry freely admits he gets lost more often than not especially during his first week. He is not the only one, he finds. His fellow first-years are plentifully late to lessons for not finding their respective ways from wherever in the castle they have been previously. Dutifully, he deals with it, occasionally asking for directions from older years and generally leaving much earlier to upcoming lessons, taking the time Ron and he will be lost into account and steadily keeping in mind that they'll know their way around soon enough.

When one day he meets a smiling someone looking like they belong to the higher years and who is just as lost as he is, this believe takes a staggering blow, making him wonder for the rest of the day if it is possible to make a map of a place that has moving staircases and whatnot.

Then he has History of Magic for the first time and he sits stupidly in his chair for a few moments when minutes after the lesson has begun it finally sinks in that the person he has believed to be a lost student is in fact his teacher. Consequently he broadens his newly acquired magical horizon some more, considering their teacher looks to be at the end of his teen years, twenty at most. Now that Harry really looks and isn't worried about upsetting strict Professor McGonagall by being late again, he finds that nothing about the teachers seems even remotely normal enough to be a student.

He reminds Harry of the ghosts he is still getting used to with his white hair and gray eyes. Were it not for the presence given to him by his eccentric black robes and the red, almost black scar running down the left side of his face Harry might have thought him just that despite the apparent solidness.

Professor Allen Walker he is called and when asked replies that of course he is a bit older than he looks, seeing as it his job to teach them history.

.

He learns that both the teachers of Defense against the Dark Arts and History of Magic are new and are teaching for their first year. Previous to Professor Walker, he hears, a really boring ghost has been teaching and that the general consent is that anyone is better than the now twice-late Professor Binns.

It goes along with the gossip chain of Hogwarts and Harry thinks that he doesn't care either way who is teaching him as long as it isn't another Snape. He can't really imagine anyone being so boring that he can't focus on what is being taught, though.

Maybe, he thinks, the rumors are just overly exaggerated, but when he mentions this thought to Ron, the second youngest of many siblings replies that, no, really Binns has been that terrible. Even Percy says so.

Harry chews on his lunch, hoping the despicable Potions' teacher be replaced as well.

.

The young teacher insists on being called by his first name with the title attached, saying he doesn't want to feel old and thinks that students who are almost visibly at the same age will find it easier to respect him when he doesn't demand of them to address him overly formal.

It's not that Harry doesn't see the point as were it not for the lack of school uniform Professor Allen would definitely pass as a student, but he does feel awkward about addressing a teacher by first name.

.

It is at Halloween that Harry notices something else about Professor Allen.

As they stand in the destroyed girls' toilet, a troll behind them and teachers all pale to some degree, either worried or angry, it is the youngest of them only who still smiles. It is directed at the three Gryffindors and Harry thinks that at least one of them isn't angry with him and his friends.

In hindsight he finds that smile a bit odd; too calm, too natural, like the smile he always gives when someone has answered his questions in class. It is as if Professor Allen alone is not affected by the chaos rankling throughout the castle.

It worries him a bit; it doesn't fit with what Harry thinks of the Professor usually. But he supposed that everyone is different and that the Professor probably worries in silence when he doesn't have to see to it that he keeps the authority assigned to him despite his young age.

.

He is walking around with his father's invisibility cloak, strolling through the castle at night on his way to the special mirror. It has been some time since he has gotten lost, but as he chooses different ways leading to his goal every night, climbing up and down previously unknown staircases he wonders if he really will know the castle one day, or if he will have to search his way through it till the end.

"Who is there?"

Under his cloak, Harry startles. Accidentally his way has leaded him close to the History of Magic classroom. Professor Allen is standing in front of it. In the darkness of night he looks more than ever like a ghost. His hair is almost glowing, catching the faint moonlight and dark clothes make him seep into the shadows.

Most startling is that for one he isn't smiling, expression set in something neutral, while his eyes have a gleaming sharpness to them that Harry is uncomfortable with.

When he doesn't answer the professor sighs, folding a gloved hand over his eyes. For some reason Harry is frozen to the spot, unable to move his gaze away from the kind teacher and a chill crawls up his spine.

Just as suddenly the sensation leaves, and the professor is smiling in Harry's direction. "Shouldn't you go to bed, Mr. Potter?"

Despite the softness of the voice Harry hears a coldness in it that makes him ill at ease and something that feels a bit like fear forms a lump in his throat.

It is the Professor that leaves first, turning right back around into his classroom.

Harry still runs, imagining soundless hands reaching for him.

.

In the following weeks Harry has his hands full figuring out the secret of Hogwarts and its connections to Nicolas Flamel and suspecting, that he pays his strangest teacher not much thought.

Plus, he can't really look at Professor Allen and remember that fear without feeling ridiculous, though the nightly terror he experienced stays with him.

Telling himself to worry about the other young professor when he can be sure Snape is no longer within reach of immortality, Harry puts it from his mind.

.

He is whispering with Ron about Norbert and occasionally the Stone when weights fall down on both their heads. They startle, hesitantly looking up the smiling face of Professor Allen.

"What is so important that it couldn't wait till after class?" While the professor asks lightly, Harry cannot help but flinch. "Or is it that I bore you with ancient revolutions and Merlin?"

They are silent.

The professor's mouth is curled upwards.

"Please stay after class."

Hermione glares at them.

.

Professor Allen, nice as he is, is very strict. He does not tolerate talking in class at all. Punishment for doing so is strenuous. It is, according to Fred and George, so boring and so long it is the better choice to just stay quiet for the duration of the lesson. In exchange the teacher usually doesn't take points, though.

History of Magic is the only subject where students do not talk to each other. At all. If communication is needed then it occurs via ink and paper, risking the chance of the professor intercepting it.

Harry and Ron stand before his desk, waiting, denying they feel nervous. It will be their first detention.

"Well," the white haired teacher asks, eyes smiling."What is so important that it you couldn't help it?"

They shift guiltily, and Harry's mind imagines telling the teacher the truth and thinks it would only land them in even more trouble.

On the teacher's head, his snitch-pet opens its mouth, revealing sharp looking teeth in an evil grin.

Maybe, Harry thinks, it is the teacher's pet that keeps everyone silent in class.

"Timcampy seems to think that raising an outlawed dragon in place with students is a bad idea."

They jump with guilty looks, and half formed denials and excuses almost leave their lips when the professor starts laughing with an amused chuckle. "I'm kidding, of course." Then, mistaking Harry and Ron's wide eyes as an expression of incomprehension, he continues, playing with his pet, still smiling at them. "Who would do such a thing?"

Chuckling once more, he waves them off, expecting them back after dinner for detention.

.

"He knows," whispers Harry furiously to Hermione, the shock still not having worn off.

"He said he was kidding, didn't he," Hermione whispers back over lunch.

"But he _knows_. Hagrid must have let something slip," Ron adds, eating.

The lone girl sniffs. "Not necessarily," she says. "Just think about it. Raising a dragon here at Hogwarts is implausible enough to be a joke." Hermione certainly seems to think it such. "Just think. In a _wooden_ hut."

They consider this, and Harry has to agree Hermione's point holds some merit. "But he was spot on."

"Well, maybe he overheard you talking in his _lesson_," she hisses and, hoping she isn't right, Harry can only sigh at her.

Timcampy, like always circling through the hall, lands on Allen's shoulder.

* * *

AN: this little piece of work is inspired by The New Teacher by Corkboard and will cover all seven years.

I intend this to be mostly from Harry's point of view, leaving knowledge about Allen implied.

Please leave a review and tell me how I'm doing with this.


	2. Subtlety at Hogwarts

Angel Laughter: Year One

* * *

Subtlety of Hogwarts

* * *

It takes Harry a while to notice, but when after months of lessons, History of Magic is the only subject that has not been boycotted by Peeves his curiosity is sparked and later only fueled as it becomes more obvious, that no ghost, not one, from the Bloody Baron to the Gray Lady to Peeves, ever comes close to the room. When Harry takes a look at them during dinner, he can even honestly say that they all, while displaying a unity they usually don't have, stay always at least half the space of the Great Hall away from Professor Allen.

The observation is somewhat unexpected and startling, but not as much as Nick's demeanor when the three of them question him on the ghosts' strange avoidance.

The usually helpful spirit clams up, his silvery hue changes to white in what is the ghostly form of paling, his eyes are unable to meet theirs and he doesn't know what they are talking about.

.

There is more.

It is not long after he overhears Snape threatening Professor Quirrel, that Harry overhears another seemingly interesting conversation.

Again it is night time and Harry is sneaking around, testing the route for the Norbert-delivery, when he comes by the corridor of the Defense classroom. Warm yellow light is spilling into the corridor from a crack opened door.

Making an impulsive decision, Harry breaks off his plan and goes to eavesdrop.

"…m-my a-a-aid," Professor Quirrel says as Harry glances inside.

Professors Quirrel and Allen are talking. Harry can only see the back of his history teacher as he sits, obscuring the defense teacher from sight.

The younger moves and Harry stains his ears to hear him sip what he suspects to be tea with a kettle standing nearby on a student's desk.

"I cannot thank you enough for your offer," is the reply, polite as always, "I have already requested assistance countless times, but sadly so far no one has been able…", he trails off with a deep sigh. "I do not blame them, naturally. It simply means I am that unfortunate."

"Th-then wha-what cau- caused it?"

"It was when I was young," Professor Allen tells, voice soft. "I was kidnapped and when I came to there were people around me, chanting. It was very painful and my scar and hair is the result. I don't remember much more." Here, he sighs again, full of sad resignation.

"D-do y-you re-remember wh-what l-language th-they s-sp-spoke?" There is note in his voice that sounds a bit too close to interest for the usually so challenged professor.

"German, I believe, though I am not quite sure. My apologies."

"N-no. I-it i-s he-helpful. The-e nu-number o-of wi-wizards?"

There is a long moment of silence, in which the younger contently sips his tea. "My memory isn't clear," he says finally, turning his back to his college to refill his tea and seemingly busy his hands. "It could have been three or five or twelve. It was a traumatic experience, you understand." His voice is appropriately heavy with sadness and reluctance, but Harry's breathe catches in his throat as he gets a good look at the younger professor's face.

"O-of c-course. Un-un-understandable."

Professor Allen's wide grin widens, pearly white teeth gleaming, and his eyes, hidden by the flickering light of fire, seem too bright. "No, really. I'm sorry. Here you graciously offer me your help and I cannot even provide sufficient assistance," spoken in the same emotional voice, followed by another sigh, while the expression doesn't change a bit.

It raises the hairs at the back of his neck, yet Harry cannot tear his eyes away. Only when the silver-gray sight is focused directly at him, Harry returns to his senses, remembering with a jolt his previous unintentional encounter.

And just like before, he runs and is unable to find sleep until the sun rises in the morning.

.

He tells Ron and Hermione about what he has heard in the morning, never noticing the golden pet flying overhead as he tries to convince his friends that he hasn't dreamed it up no matter how likely it sounds. Ron gives up trying to listening to him fairly soon, being unable to associate _kind and smiling_ Professor Allen with anything not smiling and kind. A sentiment Harry can understand, feeling slightly silly in daylight himself, but not enough to drop his thoughts.

Hermione on the other hand tries believing even less, Harry's enthusiasm for suspecting teachers going against her nature, and is more interested in the subject of being cursed that he mentions and theorizes maybe that is why the professor has white hair and looks, in his own words, a bit younger than he is. Harry can at least agree with her that the professor's scar is probably a result.

Still, every time when Harry looks at the teacher now he cannot help but remember the other side he saw.

.

Harry, experiencing his second detention, wishes very much to be back in his first, despite being newly wary of the corresponding professor.

It is not that he is scared of wandering through the forest at night, never mind how bad the company is. The dark doesn't scare him either; not more than anyone else at least.

The being crawling through the forest and hunting unicorns is a different matter, though. With and without moonlight the blood glitters and the unicorn's fur glows as white as Professor Allen's hair. The chill raising his hairs leaves him in cold sweat, be it from fear or pain from his scar.

The shadow is scarier than the professor could ever be and from that day on dominates his nightmares.

.

"What are you doing, sir?"

Harry almost cringes when the words slip out, but by then it is already too late. In his defense, Harry can claim that the sight is highly unexpected and a surprise. He has not expected to see anything muggle in Hogwarts.

The professor, of course, smiles at him. "I'm shuffling cards. Are you familiar with the game?"

Harry shakes his head numbly, no.

The other nods. "Muggle games are so very interesting, it is a shame in a wizard community one can hardly find one of similar mind. Don't you think so too, Mr. Potter?"

Finding himself nodding, Harry hesitantly steps a bit closer to the desk. While Harry finds wizard chess much better than the non-magical counterpart, he thinks that it is a shame not all muggle games have been translated into magical background.

The deck is a classic, and Harry notes the ease with which the professor flips them. He must like cards. Harry looks on curiously.

"If you ever want to try, feel free to come by," says the professor smiling, before nodding in the direction of the door.

He is the last still in the room. Ron and Hermione are waiting for him at the door.

.

The finals are closing in fast and Harry finds himself surprisingly devoted to his studies in History. When he takes a better look at his motivation he shudders, remembering very sharp and pointy teeth and a smiling, smiling expression.

Professor Allen is a bit scary, he considers absently, if only because he is a very difficult person to read and is the kind of person who would not only be very disappointed by bad grades but also find a way to make _sure_ it doesn't happen again.

Taking a look at his detention policy to see the young teacher's efficiency, Harry decides that, if possible, he would like to avoid that.

.

Harry's previous thought that muggle card games must be an interest of the professor is proven true, when the three of them are fighting through the protection of the Philosopher's Stone.

There is a bunch of cards scattered through the room, and on the next door are slots for them. It takes a while to figure the rules out, but Hermione and Harry put their knowledge of poker together and find out the rules.

Specific card combinations are required to be put in the right fields and that has to be done in quick succession or, as they painfully find out, the cards explode in their faces and they have to start anew. The explosions are far from harmless and the speed required, Harry thinks, is impossible to achieve with only two hands and no magic.

Luckily he has his friends, so all in all they come out with only two burned arms and headaches.

.

It is only later, days later, when Harry gets dressed for the evening feast that he remembers, he should have asked Professor Dumbledore, during his one chance at questioning the headmaster, about Professor Allen. But as soon as the thought crosses his mind, he hits a block in form of not knowing _what_ he should have asked.

Professor Allen upsets Harry's instincts, however there is nothing more to it; nothing more solid, nothing concrete, no overheard conversation with discriminating words or even suspicions that have bloomed over the year.

Professor Allen is a bit strange, possibly cursed, possibly two faced (Harry vividly remembers a mad grin and eyes gleaming impossibly savage), and possibly somewhat at odds with the ghosts, but really, that is all.

There is nothing that Harry could have asked without sounding paranoid and more disturbed by his meeting with Voldemort than he is and that is something Harry would really like to avoid.

Instead he reminds himself that all of his teachers are a bit strange and that one standing out a bit more than the other is nothing special and that Professor Allen truthfully seems to like teaching and speaking about history and giving his students homework.

Besides, another year is coming to figure the teacher out. There is no pressure since if the young man has any ill intentions towards the school there would have been no better timing to turn them into reality than when Voldemort is running rampant through the school.

* * *

AN: I'm thinking of possibly adding short interludes after every year focusing on Allen. It will be something close, but not exactly 'from Allen's point of view'. This Interlude might or might not tell nothing much about him at all. What is your opinion on that?

Please review and tell me what you think (of the pace, of the themes, etc).

TBC...


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